Tesla moments

[brianman]

We're missing the pic right before this, the one where I was IN the lane you're in and decided to change to the other lane, just in case you hadn't noticed the traffic had suddenly stopped. Roadster owners are defensive drivers , nothing personal.

It was a priceless moment. (And I'd do the same thing again. So would you, if you were in a Roadster with a beast of a Model S behind you.)

To be clear, it wasn't a critique just quite memorable. Also, the description above is a little deceptive.

We (3) were all in the 2nd lane from the right. The lead S pulled into the right lane and found traffic in front and started braking. The Roadster (#2) observed this and didn't switch lanes just yet. My car (#3) did make the lane change but left a comfortable gap for the Roadster. It was all safe and proper, just quite memorable.

 

[bonnie]

-laughing- In MY rearview mirror, it was happening quite quickly. And not all cars around me were stopping at the same rate. So I decided to move out of the lane, since the other lane was clear. And it wasn't a critique of anyone. Normal Roadster 'if there's an accident, I'm the smallest car' defensive driving.

That car has definitely upped my game, since I now assume no one sees me, unless I see their eyes looking at me directly or in a mirror (and even then, I am watchful) & always aware of how small the car is amidst large cars all around (most with tailpipes spewing poison directly into my line of sight).

 

[brianman]

And I must admit, there was a moment where I thought "If my car touches bonnie's car, I'll never hear the end of it."

 

[ckessel]

Normal Roadster 'if there's an accident, I'm the smallest car' defensive driving.

I had a Roadster loaner for a couple days last year in the summer. Fun, but I was terrified the entire time that I was going to die if some SUV failed to stop in time.

Not the car for me

 

[bonnie]

And I must admit, there was a moment where I thought "If my car touches bonnie's car, I'll never hear the end of it."

That would have made up for a lot, I admit.

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I had a Roadster loaner for a couple days last year in the summer. Fun, but I was terrified the entire time that I was going to die if some SUV failed to stop in time.

Not the car for me

The quickness of the car is the saving grace. And always paying attention to those SUVs and other vehicles. Without a doubt, I'm a better driver because of the Roadster. And after almost 3 1/2 years of driving one, it's just as much fun now as it was the first day. No way I'm ever giving up this car.

 

[ChadS]

Expanding from what Bonnie said...I really like driving the Model S, and its capabilities (storage, supercharging, tech etc) are unparalleled. Most "Tesla moments" come from showing it to people that aren't familiar with it, and seeing their surprise and delight and knowing that they'll consider EVs in the future.

I like all that, but with the Roadster, I have a Tesla moment every minute I drive it. It really is a whole other level of fun. Now that we have the Model S, we don't need the Roadster and something like a LEAF would make a lot more sense. Or an i3, which would also fit in to the stupid tiny garage spot that my builder put in. I've driven them, and they're both nicer to drive than any gas car I ever had, and I could carry more passengers and cargo and so need to borrow my wife's Model S less often, and they'd be cheaper and have a warranty...but man. Giving up the Roadster driving experience is a difficult thing to contemplate. Nobody needs two Teslas and trading down is clearly the practical thing to do and I'm a very practical guy, but I sure am dragging my feet.

(And regarding being the smallest car in an accident...I've long pushed for small efficient vehicles while my wife pushed for big safe vehicles, especially when we had kids. I used to ride motorcycles so I figure any car is safe enough for me. I finally convinced her you can't make a big car more efficient, but you can make a small car safer in some ways, for example choosing a highly visible color. I first saw the Roadster in Thunder Gray and oh man, did I like that. But here in Seattle you don't want to drive a 44" tall car that blends in with wet pavement. Brilliant Yellow was the clear choice for us).

 

[brianman]

@ChadS
I already made the request to bonnie last year, and I'll extend it to you.

If you decide to sell the Roadster (for whatever reason), put me on your interested buyer list.

 

[Kraken]

We're missing the pic right before this, the one where I was IN the lane you're in and decided to change to the other lane, just in case you hadn't noticed the traffic had suddenly stopped. Roadster owners are defensive drivers , nothing personal.

It was a priceless moment. (And I'd do the same thing again. So would you, if you were in a Roadster with a beast of a Model S behind you.)

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TeslaRoadTrip.org

Wait... I think I remember this... was this when you ditched us all in Fremont?

 

[brianman]

"Lost track of you", yes.

 

[Denarius]

Wait... I think I remember this... was this when you ditched us all in Fremont?

Yep, I think it was. :tongue:

 

[LoL Rick]

Here is my collection of Tesla moments so far.

1. Guy in a Jetta pulls up next to me at a stoplight and motions for me to roll down the window.
Him: "Is it true that thing is all electric?"
Me: "Yep, no gas at all."
Him: "I bet it feels weird not to go to the gas station."
Me: "Doesn't bother me at all."

2. Showing the car to my brother and his best friend, I show the interior, talk about the range and efficiency, then show them huge trunk and underfloor storage. Here comes the setup: "Do you want to see what's under the hood?" Best frunk-face ever!

3. I let a friend who is a competitive go-kart racer drive the car. "Oh, this is so cool!" about a dozen times followed by "I got a little headache from the acceleration." Then "Oh, this is so cool!"

4. At the last moment before purchase I changed the license plate to be transferred to the Tesla, resulting in an overpayment. (Sorry Ben!) Today I received a refund check, computer printed, postmarked from San Francisco, with my name and address hand written on the envelope. Something hilarious about a company with the technology of Tesla having a person in a back office writing out envelopes.

 

[stevezzzz]

I was driving my MC Red Model S the other day, and ended up behind another MC Red. Then, *another* one appeared behind me! A convoy of three Red Teslas! Welcome to Silicon Valley...

Sorry I'm late to the party with this: Roseville SpC, the Friday of TMC Connect, shortly before the convoy headed off to Monterey...

 

[CatB]

Fun Tesla moment at the local gas station this past weekend. I brought a can so I could get some gasoline to pour into an old wine bottle so I could get rid of some Japanese beetles that are wreaking havoc with some trees. Ended up talking to one guy on a motorcycle who really wants a Model III and has never seen a MS, another guy who had heard of Tesla but didn't know what it was and a sweet young guy who was hauling a lawn mower behind his pickup, who offered to help me get gas since I probably didn't know how to do it. I smiled and said thanks and didn't even think of telling him that I have been putting gas in cars since before he was born.

 

[Kraken]

"Lost track of you", yes.

I think we had our own Tesla moment at that same intersection... Denarius and I. Not nearly as scary, but definitely a search for that familiar headlight outline.

And if I recall, we were told you'd come meet us at the supercharger after picking up Bonnie's car... haha. oh well, all's well that ends well, and that weekend definitely went well.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

The two women behind me in this:

were very excitedly trying to figure out what I was driving. Too bad it never worked out for me to have an opportunity to tell them! Sorry for the crappy pic, that was a pretty Maserati Quattroporte, looked to be circa 2012.

 

[jrreno]

The two women behind me in this:
View attachment 55910

were very excitedly trying to figure out what I was driving. Too bad it never worked out for me to have an opportunity to tell them! Sorry for the crappy pic, that was a pretty Maserati Quattroporte, looked to be circa 2012.

Now thats a twist, the Tesla owner taking a pic of the car behind

 

[UMD86]

Here's my favorite collection.

I was at the Greenwich, CT charging station on a sunny Saturday afternoon last month. A group of 4 (3 guys and 1 female) got out of a car and 1 one of the guys came over to talk about my Model S. He was from Albany, Georgia (classic "friendly" redneck) and he was quizzing me about the car. He heard about the car but never saw one so I go through my sales pitch type walk through and he was amazed. I said do you think you will ever buy one and he said NAH - I like American Muscle. I paused for a second and said, "THIS IS AMERICAN MUSCLE". I said it was developed, designed and manufactured in the Good Ole USA. He had no answer!!! CLASSIC

 

[bonnie]

Here's my favorite collection.

I was at the Greenwich, CT charging station on a sunny Saturday afternoon last month. A group of 4 (3 guys and 1 female) got out of a car and 1 one of the guys came over to talk about my Model S. He was from Albany, Georgia (classic "friendly" redneck) and he was quizzing me about the car. He heard about the car but never saw one so I go through my sales pitch type walk through and he was amazed. I said do you think you will ever buy one and he said NAH - I like American Muscle. I paused for a second and said, "THIS IS AMERICAN MUSCLE". I said it was developed, designed and manufactured in the Good Ole USA. He had no answer!!! CLASSIC

I think that's my favorite thing to say when dealing with the classic 'I only buy American cars' kind of guy. It IS all-American. Designed, developed and manufactured here. Created jobs here. Lots of 'em. Putting money into the economy. Doesn't use any foreign oil. Such an American success story. Who shouldn't be supporting them??

 

[GoBlue88]

I think that's my favorite thing to say when dealing with the classic 'I only buy American cars' kind of guy. It IS all-American. Designed, developed and manufactured here. Created jobs here. Lots of 'em. Putting money into the economy. Doesn't use any foreign oil. Such an American success story. Who shouldn't be supporting them??

According to my Louisiana in-laws, California is a foreign country. :wink:

 

[Half Dollar Bill]

We were on vacation at a family community on the CT seashore and a gentleman in the next cottage stops us to ask if the car was a Tesla. He said he’s never seen one in the wild. I open her up and start to talk to him. Turns out he works for a company called Dymax based in CT; they make wire coatings and Tesla is a big account for them. He told me that they initially shipped the products in cans and syringes but now they use 55 gallon drums because of the growth in the volume ordered. The evolution of that relationship was funny to me. He was impressed by the cargo capacity, even more so when I popped the frunk. He really appreciated being able to see the finished product up close and I thanked him for his contribution in making it all possible.

Then my brother and I go golfing with his ten-year-old son one day and during the ride to the course he asks his son what he thinks of the car. His son replies, “It’s the kind of car the Jetsons would drive if their cars had wheels.” I love that kid!